Page 25

It was a beautiful late winter afternoon, the air still warm enough for a t-shirt, but the underlying bite of wind promised a cold evening. For a northern-born shifter like Elias, he would still be fine without a coat, but he carried mine for me as we made our way down the sun-dappled sidewalks.

“You have us beat on architecture, too,” he mused, admiring the rows of Victorian houses. “Chicago is great, but I love all the colorshere. I definitely feel like I’m in San Francisco, you know what I mean?”

I smiled, my heart warming as Elias was picking up on all the little things I also loved about this city. I leaned into him, wordlessly sharing my joy.

That feeling slowly began to fade as I further witnessed the effect Elias was having on the people we passed, staring at him like he was their dream man come to life. It was flattering at first, but after the sixth or seventh time it was starting to lose its novelty.

“Is this what it’s like with me in Maiingan Hollow?” I asked.

He looked down at me innocently. “What do you mean?”

I gestured towards the woman eye fucking him while she waited at the corner for the light to turn. “That.”

He laughed. “Oh, sorry, I’ve learned to tune it out. I suppose, but alphas could actually hurt you, so it’s more than just jealousy when I see them checking you out.”

I bit back my growl as we walked by another woman who whispered “Fuck me” under her breath.

“Well, it’s super annoying, and I can sympathize now, I think.”

“Aw, is my little omega feeling insecure?” he teased. He leaned down and rubbed his nose along the outer shell of my ear. “Does she need me to spend all night with my knot in her, letting her know she’s the only female I have eyes for?”

Heat blossomed in my core and I shuddered in excitement at the thought of it. “Maybe…”

Chuckling, he nipped my bond mark. “Your ‘maybe’ is my command, California.”

After another few blocks we stopped in front of my old building, my heart racing and hands shaking. “Do you think you could give me an hour or two alone in there?” I asked quietly. “Regardless of what Mike was, I know he loved me in the way he could. I just want to grieve him for a bit without…”

“Of course,” Elias interrupted. “Do you want some coffee? I can go get us some.”

I nodded. “Lots of cream and sugar, please. It’s unit eight, on the second floor. Door code is 3185.”

Elias leaned down and wrapped me in his large arms. “I’m here for you,” he repeated.

With a kiss on my lips, he was off, leaving me to my daunting task alone. It had only been a few weeks since I’d left, yet it felt like years, each step up the stairs heavier than the last.

I took off the ‘Notice of Hold’ announcement on our mailbox, opening it and collecting several weeks’ worth of mostly junk mail. Even seeing Mike’s name on the credit card offers made my breath hitch. I’d thought that would be my name someday, too, and had taken to signing ‘Marlowe Linden-Sanguinetti’ on my notepad when I’d been bored at work.

There was nothing worth keeping, and after dumping it all in the recycling bin in the front hall, I made the heart-pounding journey up the stairs. How many times had I run up these, squealing as Mike chased me, pinching my butt along the way?

A random Amazon package for him was at our doorstep, and I picked it up as I slowly turned the key in the lock. The scent of my favorite diffuser, dark berry and amber, still lingered in the air. Our windows faced east, and it was already quite dark. I headed into the living room, setting my purse down on the side table and turning on the light.

“You must be Marlowe.”

I screamed, a figure in a suit rushing towards me with supernatural speed and slamming a hand on my mouth. “Shhh, we don’t want to alert the neighbors, do we?”

My panic surged as I stared into the violet eyes of an older man I recognized as a vampyr. “I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just here to talk. If I remove my hand, do you promise not to yell?”

I nodded, flooding my bonds with my fear, urging Elias to return.

“Good girl,” he cooed, letting me go. He was tall, still well defined for a man of his age, which I clocked at maybe late fifties, his dark hair graying at the temples.

“Who are you?” My voice shook as I spoke, and my hand instinctively covered my throat.

He chuckled darkly, his eyes darting towards the movement. “You know what I am, at least, so that will save us some time. My name is William Sable, I’m one of the elders serving on the Vampyric Council.”

I gripped the wall behind me for support. I still knew next to nothing about their kind, but if he was on the council, that meant he was more than physically powerful. He had status, wealth, and the command of vampyr soldiers. “My alpha will be here any minute…” I warned.

He took a step back towards me, his nose burrowing into the crook of my neck as he took a long, deep pull. When he stood up tohis full height, his hands shot out on either side of me, caging me in. His eyes turned completely red, and his fangs descended.